Child-Rearing
by SparrowofTruth93
Summary: Glenn wants to adopt one of the Woodbury children but Daryl is against it and Glenn doesn't understand why until tragedy almost strikes.


Another reverse prompt from the kink meme. Someone wanted Glenn wanting to adopt a Woodbury kid and Daryl saying no.

This is what I came up with.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but all mistakes are my own. I wrote this in my phone.

Enjoy!

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"Like this?" The boy holding the gun was small for his age, small for eight. His eyes were still big, his face had a slight plumpness to it, his hair soft and wild. He was a child but he was learning to handle a gun because he had to, he was already descent with a knife but he still needed to learn to shoot.

"That's right Aiden." Glenn praised taking in the boys stance, the strength of his arms. With a peek down the unloaded gun-they couldn't waste ammo in target practice-Glenn saw his aim was good.

"One day I can shoot it right." Aiden said lowering the gun and looking at the empty slot that would house the cartridge if it wasn't tucked in Glenn's belt.

"Hopefully not bud." Glenn said taking the gun back. Aiden watched as Glenn snapped the cartridge back in, flipped the safety and tucked the gun in his belt.

"Why not?" He asked looking up at Glenn as they headed back inside from the courtyard where Glenn gave him his lessons. Aiden always felt special because he was the only kid who got lessons because he had caught Glenn's eye back when he first came to the prison with the rest of the Woodbury group.

Aiden was quiet, not surprising since he had lost both his parent back when the world went to shit and then his somewhat adopted dad when the Governor killed everyone on the road months earlier. The kid was thoughtful though, he would hold other children's hands when they were upset and get them to play so they wouldn't be sad for a bit. That's what got Glenn's attention, that unconditional caring, that was something the world needed now. So Glenn was going to do anything to make sure Aiden thrived and survived, even if that meant putting a weapon in an eight year olds hand.

"Because, I'll always be there to protect you." Glenn ruffled his strawberry blond hair.

"Always?" Aiden asked softly, dark blue eyes almost cutting Glenn to the core with their intensity and doubt. A child of their world, no room for sparkly innocence.

"Yeah, always." Glenn was nearly knocked over when a small body latched onto his waist, arms holding tight with fist that should be too fragile for a gun clenched in his shirt.

Glenn looked down at the mop of messy hair pressed to his hip. Glenn ran his hand over the soft strands, they were slightly wavey from length. Glenn could feel him shaking and just let him hold on for a moment before prying his arms loose. Aiden whimpered in protest but Glenn didn't push him back like he thought. Glenn picked him up and set him on his hip, Aiden was very small for eight.

"Let's go see what was scrounged up for lunch." Glenn said as Aiden wrapped his arms around Glenn's neck and nodded.

-/

"You know that kid Aiden?" Glenn asked as rough whiskers burned sweetly down his neck. Daryl paused in sucking a deep bruise on Glenn's collarbone with a huff.

Daryl leaned back into his elbow, his chest had a fine sheen of sweat just like Glenn's. Daryl glanced pointedly down at the fact that he was between Glenn's bare thighs, he almost gestured at Glenn's stretched entrance that was just waiting for more than Daryl's fingers that had been there just moments ago. Daryl looked back up at Glenn and his Asian had the nerve to cock an eyebrow at him and ask, "Well, do you?"

"Yeah, I know the kid." Daryl answers with a sigh of defeat, they were talking first it seemed.

"Do you like him?" Glenn asked reaching up to toy with a wisp of hair, Daryl's hair was getting so long.

"Aiden? Yeah, he's a good kid." Daryl nuzzled Glenn's wrist before nipping it getting a small laugh at the action.

"Well, he doesn't have any parents, you know." Glenn said trailing the fingers of his other hand across Daryl's broad shoulder.

"Yeah." Daryl's breath caught slightly in his chest when Glenn scratched his nails against his scalp.

"He is a sweet kid. He knows the basics of guns and can use a knife pretty well. Plus, he can be a right little smartass when he wants." Glenn ran his hand down Daryl's chest while the other twisted in his hair making Daryl moan softly.

"Okay, yeah." Daryl said absentmindedly as Glenn's fingers tickled over his stomach, tracing his abs.

"He behaves very well, he minds and didn't really back talk. He is just a great boy." Glenn's fingers ran through the hair at the base of Daryl's cock while his other hand squeezed Daryl's neck.

"Yer tryin to butter me up fer somethin," Daryl moaned quietly, "C'mon out with it."

"I want to adopt him." Glenn said guided Daryl toward his entrance but suddenly Daryl was out of his arms.

"What the fuck?!" Daryl nearly yelled.

"Shhh!" Glenn hissed looking at their cell door but there was no movement in the other side of the sheet they used as a curtain for privacy, "Why don't you just start screaming next time so Rick or Michonne come busting in here!"

"Glenn, what the hell do ya mean ya wanna adopt him?" Daryl was at the foot of the bed staring at his lover like he had popped out another head.

"Aiden trusts me Daryl and I think he is a great kid. Honestly, I love him to death, so why can't we just make him ours?" Glenn explained.

"Ya can't jus force the kid ta be yours." Daryl ran his fingers through his hair.

"It isn't force. I know he would happily be OURS, not mine, ours." Glenn corrected crossing his arms.

"Glenn, babe, this isn't a hat or a pair a jeans. Aiden is a human. Ya can't jus pick him off the shelf and say ya want him." Daryl said shaking his head.

"It isn't like that. I want him to have a family and we can be that. Please, Daryl. Will you at least consider it?" Glenn was almost begging.

"Yer the one who wants a family." Daryl grumbled.

"Is that such a bad thing? Come on Daryl, just think about." Glenn pouted.

"I guess but no promises," Daryl said getting a happy nod from Glenn, "Kid ain't even ours yet and he's already screwin with our sex life."

"Who said anything about our sex life changing?" Glenn crawled into Daryl's lap and grinned down at him. Daryl lifted an eyebrow at Glenn as Glenn reached down between them and found Daryl had only softened slightly.

Daryl leaned back as Glenn lowered himself with a stifled moan. Daryl wasn't a selfish lover but he decided to let Glenn do all the work this time, to see just how badly he really wanted the kid.

-/

The answer had been very badly because Daryl had came so hard inside Glenn he nearly had a stroke. The least Daryl could do was give the kid a shot to prove himself. Daryl walked down to cell block D where all the Woodbury people stayed.

Daryl spotted Aiden right away. Bouncy blond hair bowed over a knife he was cleaning as Melissa, a young teenage girl watched nervously. Daryl walked over to the table they were at and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll watch him, you go stop that one from killin herself." Daryl said pointing to a two year old girl who was trying to climb the stairs. Melissa smiled thankfully up to him before darting off to grab the baby right before she nosedived to her face.

Daryl sat down and watched Aiden rub the cleaning oil on the blade then test the sharpness with his thumb. Daryl could tell it didn't need to be sharpened just like he knew Glenn had taught Aiden all this stuff because Daryl had taught Glenn.

"Glenn give ya that?" Daryl asked as Aiden slid the knife into its holder. It wasn't a pocket knife, a flip knife. It was a small buck knife, half the size of Daryl's but good for a kid.

"Yes sir." Aiden answers snapping the holder onto the belt loop of his jeans.

Daryl was surprised by the politeness. He just nodded as Aiden looked up at him. It was awkward, have a staring match with an eight year old. It was even more awkward losing. Daryl rubbed the back of his neck and glanced around for something to say like the words would drop out of the air. Daryl didn't know how to talk to most people, much less a kid a barely knew so he went with what he knew.

"Ya learn how to throw it yet?" Daryl asked gesturing at the knife.

"You can throw it?" Aiden asked eyes wide and shining with curiosity.

"Yeah. Wanna learn?" Daryl asked as he stood and Aiden hopped up too.

"Yes sir!" Aiden answered.

"C'mon then," Daryl lead him out of the block to the courtyard, Daryl had set up one of the bunk mattresses for target practice with his crossbow but sometimes he used it for his knife too, "And stop with the 'sir' crap."

"What do you want me to call you then?" Aiden looked up at him as Daryl opened the gate to the yard.

"Jus Daryl is good kid." Daryl nearly blushed at the smile he got for that.

"Okay, Daryl." Aiden was missing a front tooth on the bottom and Daryl would never admit to finding that adorable.

-/

Aiden had a hard time learning the right way to throw his knife. At first he didn't have enough power for it to stick in the mattress. It would either come up short or just bounce off. After two weeks of lessons with Daryl between his gun lessons and chores that everyone pitched in with, Aiden finally got the power right. It was a month before he could aim even half way decent.

Glenn didn't bring up the adoption thing again, he just let Daryl and Aiden get closer. He watched as Aiden started following Daryl like a duckling like did with Glenn sometimes. It was about a week before Daryl noticed then made it into a game.

Daryl would let the boy follow him then do something like sprint off to make Aiden chase him. Or he would jump up and grab the bottom of the second level railing and pull himself up while Aiden ran up the stairs to meet him. It was absolutely the cutest thing Glenn had ever seen but he didn't tell them that, then they would stop and Glenn was having none of that.

It was Daryl that brought it up again. When he did Glenn didn't know if he should pick his jaw up off the floor or deck Daryl in his.

"What do you mean we can't adopt him?!" Glenn was nearly livid.

"We jus can't." Daryl said firmly. Glenn didn't even get to question further because Daryl was waking out of their cell and going to do the all night watch. Which he started doing almost every day.

Glenn thought he was a coward. Hiding from him and Aiden so he wouldn't have to answer to Glenn.

-/

Glenn was busy clearing the fences one day with Maggie. They weren't as close as before but people never are after a break up but she had reached the point where she started to be his friend again so that was enough. The walkers weren't spreading out as much anymore, putting more pressure on small sections of fence, making them weak. They had to keep an eye on the numbers more now.

"You and Daryl fighting?" Maggie asked yanking her knife out of the skull of a walker.

"I guess." Glenn answered pulling his machete free covered in more walker brains.

"I ain't being nosey. I just noticed he was keeping his distant lately. He hasn't even had his mini me with him lately." Maggie said wiping her forehead of sweat. It was warning up again, winter was almost over and spring was coming.

Glenn smiled because Aiden did seem like a mini Daryl at times.

"He'll come around, he always does." Glenn felt awkward talking to Maggie about his and Daryl's relationship but it made him feel better too.

They whittled down the number of walkers all around the fence for about an hour. It was always a bit of a shock just how many walkers there could be, how many people had been lost. They listened to the children playing up in the courtyard, getting some air but not being too loud.

"I have been meaning to ask you this," Maggie started knifing another walker, "Just how good is Daryl in bed?"

Glenn could stop the laugh that bubbles up in his throat. His head was thrown back in a laugh as Maggie giggled but it was cut short at the sound of a loud scream.

"The courtyard!" Maggie yelled taking off up the hill with Glenn on her heals.

The courtyard was fenced off. Three side of the fence had no walkers because they faced the fenced field. One side faced the part of the prison that wasn't cleared but blocked off inside. Only a few dozen walkers ever came to the fence because most of them wandered inside and got lost in the tombs.

When Maggie and Glenn ran up maybe a dozen walkers were inside the courtyard. Melissa had three of the smaller children in her arms struggling with the gate to get them inside while about six bigger kids ran screaming.

"RICK!" Maggie screamed pulling out her gun and taking out a walker right before it tackled a girl no older than seven.

"Daryl!" Glenn yelled running toward the fence as another walker struggle through a hole they had made. They had managed to rip the fence from the wall, it was only about two feet wide but it was enough.

That walker ripped the gap wider and another stumbled in with it. There was no stopping them they had to just get the kids inside. Glenn turned and found a walker right in his face, he took the top of its head clean off.

"Glenn!" Glenn looked up to see Tyreese and Rick yanked the gate open and pulled Melissa in. Rick was yelling for him again as an arrow zipped by his head. Glenn glanced behind him to see a walker not a foot from him drop.

"Move it Short-round!" Daryl yelled grabbing a sobbing boy right before a walker could sink his teeth in and threw him to Maggie who had the girl she saved in her arms already.

Glenn sheathed his machete and pulled out his gun. Daryl was wading through the walkers from child to child, blowing off heads as he snatched up running kids. Glenn shot a walker as it started for a boy, Glenn grabbed the boys hand and ran him to the door where Tyreese took him. Maggie was getting the kids from Daryl so Glenn just started shooting walkers, to make clearing out later easier. Daryl was running back to the gate when they heard it.

A small scream that had Daryl whipping back around. A small body came running out of a nook in the wall where it had been hiding. A walker right on it, rotten hands closing on tiny arms. Daryl was out of arrows so he grabbed his knife as the small boy was shoved down by the walker, a boy too small for eight Glenn realized as Daryl's knife left his hand.

"Aiden!" Glenn yelled moving to run forward but Rick grabbed him. Glenn fought the hold but Tyreese grabbed him too and pulled him inside as Maggie pushed with the last child in her arms. Glenn saw the flash of the knife embedding itself in the gapping mouth of the walker and he nearly screamed with relief as he was yanked inside.

-/

Daryl ran over and shoved the walker off the boy where it had landed. Aiden was shaking and crying softly. Daryl didn't chastise him for not defending himself even though the boys knife was on his belt loop. He was a child and he was scared. Daryl quickly yanked his knife out of the walkers head and sheathed it before snatching the boy up into his arms.

Daryl ran to the gate that Maggie held open for him. She slammed it behind him as Daryl started running his hands over the boys arms. Rick and Tyreese had taken Glenn inside the cell block with the kids.

"Ya get scratched bud? Ya okay?" Daryl whispers finding no broken skin.

"Dad!" Aiden whined burying his face in Daryl's neck sobbing. Daryl tensed up at the word but didn't say anything, he just shushed the boy and rubbed his back. He glanced over at Maggie whose eyes were wide but she kept her mouth shut.

Daryl carried Aiden inside headed for his and Glenn's cell. Glenn looked up from where he was counting the children, only one was missing from the crying group around him but he could see the one he was short in Daryl's arms. Daryl went to their cell and Glenn excused himself.

"Is he alright?" Glenn whispered when he entered their cell and found Daryl on the bunk still cradling Aiden.

"Fine. No scratches or bites." Daryl said as Aiden borrowed into his chest more, "Jus scared."

Glenn nodded sitting down and rubbed Aiden's back. The boy looked over at him then launched himself at Glenn.

"Daddy." He whimpered against Glenn's chest. Glenn's eyes went wide as he looked over at Daryl.

"Must be in shock. He called me 'dad'." Daryl said gruffly. Glenn looked down at the shaking boy in his arms and just held him tighter as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

-/

"How can you still say no?" Glenn had to stop himself from yelling, he looked over at the little boy who had finally fallen asleep on their bed.

"Glenn, we can't." Daryl insisted looking over at the boy too.

"Tell me one good reason why." Glenn demanded crossing his arms and glaring at his lover.

"Fine, jus one? He could die. He could die any second, he almost did today. That's why." Daryl glared right back. Glenn felt his face soften as the words set in.

"You're afraid he'll die. That's why you don't want him?" Glenn asked softly.

"Jesus fucking Christ, I do want him, I really do. He is great but he is fragile Glenn." Daryl said running his fingers through his hair.

"He's a kid, of course he is breakable. That's part of it." Glenn said dropping his arms to his side.

"Walkers were never MEANT to be a part of it." Daryl spat.

"You're afraid you won't be able to save him." Glenn said, it dawning on him why Daryl was so against taking Aiden as their own.

"Yeah, alright. I am." Glenn could see it pained Daryl to discuss his feelings, "I was nearly too late this time. Next time, who knows. And it would be too painful for you to lose him. I heard you scream for him. You love him. We can't do this, we can invite that pain and anxiety in."

Glenn stared at Daryl when he finished. Daryl was glaring at that floor his arms crossed tightly.

"Daryl, can you answer sometime for me?" Daryl nodded still looking down, "Would you ever let anything happen to him?"

"Never." Daryl said without hesitation.

"Well, then it's too late to turn back now. We love him too much to let him go." Glenn said making Daryl look pained again, "Sorry but he is ours now. Might as well get ready for a lot of fear and worry."

Glenn pulled Daryl into a hug as he groaned softly.

"I'm too old for this shit." Daryl mumbled into Glenn's neck as he wrapped his around around Glenn's waist. Glenn just chuckled softly at his suffering.

-/

Daryl ran his hand down Glenn's jeans clad ass making him moan quietly. They kissed deeply as Glenn's hands slid under the older mans shirt to run his nails over scarred skin and hard muscle. Daryl's fingers found the button of Glenn's jeans and toyed with it for a moment.

"Dad!" A loud voice yelled from outside in the cell block.

Daryl shot back off Glenn who laughed as their cell door swung open admitting an excited eight-almost nine thank you very much-year old. Aiden ran over and jumped on the bunk with them.

"Dad, you're gonna teach me to use your old crossbow today right?" Aiden bounced on the thin mattress excitedly.

"I thought Aunt Beth was watching you." Glenn said poking Aiden in the stomach making him giggle.

"Sorry!" Beth said running into the cell, "He snuck off on me."

She gave them a deeply apologetic look. She knew why they had asked her to watch him this morning and felt bad that he had given her the slip.

"It's fine," Daryl said waving her concern off, "Alright bud, go grab your bow and we'll practice."

"Yay!" Aiden cheered running out of the cell to get his crossbow off the table where he left it.

"Told ya," Daryl said getting up and grabbing his own bow, "Our sex life, deader than a walker."

Beth hid a grin behind her hand as she turned to leave. Glenn chuckled standing up and wrapping his arms around Daryl's neck.

"I wouldn't say that," Glenn stage whispered, "You can fuck me later when he is playing with the other kids. I'm sure Beth can watch him then too."

Beth squeaked from the door where she heard him. She ears red as she nodded before nearly running away.

"Yer terrible." Daryl laughed kissing Glenn.

"That's why you love me." Glenn grinned as Daryl pulled away.

"C'mon Dad!" Aiden said running over to grab Daryl's hand and practically drag Daryl out to the courtyard which now had a new stronger fence.

Glenn leaned against the cell doorjamb and watched them go. Daryl grinning down at a chattering boy that was finally not small for eight. Glenn smiled as Daryl went outside to teach their son something new. Their son, yeah Glenn liked that.

* * *

Drop a review and tell me what you thought. Thanks for reading!


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